Author: AK_admin

An antique is a collectible object such as a piece of furniture or work of art that has a high value because of its considerable age. Aside from age, other factors such as beauty, rarity, condition, utility, personal emotional connection, and other unique features are considered when giving value to the item. Antiques are bought at antique shops, auction houses, online auctions, estate sales, and other venues. The following are the world’s most expensive antiques.

Pinner Qing Dynasty Vase – $80.2 million

Pinner Qing Dynasty Vase is by far the most expensive sold antique in the whole world. The vase is decorated with gold, pastel yellow and sky-blue, and has 4 motifs including fishes and flowers. It also bears the imperial seal and is believed to have been crafted for Emperor Qianlong, who reigned between 1736 and 1795. At first, it was thought to be a nice replica and valued at only $1000. After reevaluation, it was determined to be authentic and was reappraised at $1 million. Accordingly, there were 18 of this vase but this is the only one that is left. How it got to London from China is still a mystery.

The vase was exhibited to be sold at an auction in the United Kingdom in 2010 and because of its purity, beauty, history, and rareness, the bidding went over the top and was finally sold for $80.2 million. The original consigner received $29 million from the sale.

Badminton Cabinet – $36 million

Among the world’s most expensive antiques that were sold is the badminton cabinet made in Florence during the Medici dynasty. The cabinet took 6 years to make, made by a team composed of 30 craftsmen. Decorated with precious stones like lapis Lazuli, amethysts, ebony and other semi-precious gems, the cabinet is considered as one of the finest pieces of French furniture. The 12-foot tall cabinet also includes a clock with fleurs-de-lis for numbers. This piece of antique furniture twice set records for most expensive sale. In 1990 it sold for $16.6 million and in 2004 it sold for $36 million. The cabinet is now owned by the Lichtenstein Museum where it is on public display.

Leonardo da Vinci’s Codex Leicester – $30.8 million

The codex was named after the earl of Leicester who purchased the document in 1719. It is a collection of scientific writings by Leonardo da Vinci and considered as his most famous and significant work. The codex is also regarded as an elaborate work of science and contains theories, sketches and musings on astronomy, geography, the elements and several scientific topics. All the topics in the document have da Vinci’s signature which proves that it is authentic. Leonardo da Vinci’s Codex Leicester was purchased by Bill gates at a Christie’s auction in 1994.

Olyphant Battle Horn – $16.1 million

The Olyphant hunting horn dates back to the 11th century and traditionally handcrafted from carved ivory and decorated with detailed motifs. This fully functioning battle horn is made from an elephant’s tusk and intricately carved with motifs of animals of the hunt, including rabbits, ducks, and deer. It was sold for $16.1 million at a private auction in Scandinavia. The Olyphant Battle Horn is extremely rare as there are only six such horns exist in the world.

White Porcelain Moonflask in Pink and Blue Enamel – $15.1 million

In addition to the list of the world’s most expensive antiques is the White Porcelain Moonflask in Pink and Blue Enamel. This flask was crafted in the 18th century but carries the 15th-century peerless essence and nature. The flask is enameled in pink blue and white and features a unique Qianlong 6 character mark. The handles are of the dragon scroll design and the mouth of the flask is ringed with a ruyi band. The Moonflask was last sold in Hong Kong at an auction in 2010 for $15.1 million.

When people travel to South Africa, they often want to do more than see the sights. A lot of people want to find something special that they can bring home for them.

Thankfully, there are a number of interesting shops in South Africa. This is particularly true if you are going to be in Knysna or any of the surrounding areas. This city is known for housing a variety of antique shops.

The antiques that are found in these shops are very different from the antiques you might see in stores at home. If you buy something from the right shop, you will be taking home a beautiful piece of African history.

Naturally, you’ll want to make sure that the shop you select is the right one. Keep these things in mind as you work to plan your trip.

Research Shops In Advance

Try to find out shops in the area before you leave for your trip. It’ll be easier for you to conduct research while you are still at home.

Spend some time reading about the numerous shops that are in the area. Talk to people that have traveled to that part of South Africa before. See if they have stopped by the shops in the area. Find out if there is a particular place that they would recommend.

If you learn more about the shops in Knysna, it will be easier for you find a place that you would like to visit.

Talk To Your Hotel Concierge

If you are already in South Africa, you should still be able to find great antique shops. As a matter of fact, you may be able to get a recommendation from the concierge that is working at your hotel.

A hotel concierge is aware of many local businesses and restaurants. It is their job to help hotel guests find the kinds of things they are looking for. If there is a quality antique shop near your hotel, they should be able to point you in the right direction.

Try Shopping At Knysna Markets

Although there are a number of established shops in the city of Knysna, they aren’t the only place to buy antiques. You can also find antiques when shopping at the local markets.

If you’re not looking for something specific, shopping at markets may be your best option. You will be able to look at a variety of different products.

The Knysna markets can be a little overwhelming, especially if you are not used to shopping at street markets. With that said, they can also be very entertaining. If you want a specific item, your best bet is to head to the shop. If you simply want to bring home something special, going to the street markets is a great idea.

Browse Numerous Antique Shops

You can check out an antique shop without making a purchase. If you don’t know where you want to go, you should try browsing several antique shops.

While you are at the shops, you should try talking to the shop owner. Explain what you want, and see if they can help you find it.

The best antique shops can connect customers with the kind of items that they want. See if you can find a shop that could do that for you.

Are you looking for an antique shop in Knysna? If so, you should start your search right away. The sooner you start looking at antique shops, the easier it will be for you to find the kind of shop that you’d like to make a purchase from.

When most people think of visiting South Africa, they don’t really think about shopping for antiques. However, there are many incredible antique shops tucked away in nearly every corner of this beautiful country. In fact, one of the best places to find treasures from the past is at Nelspruit antique shops.

Located in the northeastern part of South Africa, Nelspruit boasts a population of just under 60,000 people. Throughout this mid-sized city are an array of antique shops, each carrying unique items from the past. Touring through all of these shops is an antique lover’s dream. You never know what treasures you are going to find hidden away in the back of one of these shops.

If you are going to be in the Nelspruit area, you may want to plan a day of antique shopping. This can be a great way to check out all of the incredible shops that are in the area.

A good place to start is by making a list of all of the shops that you want to visit. Don’t forget to include antique stores that are located slightly outside of the city limits. Be sure to write down the address of each store as well as directions on how to get there. This can make travelling from one shop to the next a lot easier.

Antique shopping is usually more fun if you bring someone along with you. Try to find a shopping partner to hit the stores with. Whether you take one of your best friends, your spouse, or someone that you know who is interested in antiques, being able to share the many treasures that you find with someone else can help make the experience a lot more rewarding. Plus, it helps to have a second set of eyes to watch for antique shops alongside the road as you drive through the city.

Be sure to bring plenty of money along with you. That way, you can buy any items that interest you on the spot rather than having to return for them later. Additionally, if possible, take a vehicle with plenty of storage space. This will make it easier to transport the items that you purchase.

If you have good negotiating skills, you can even try to talk some of the shop owners down on their prices. However, be reasonable with your expectations. You don’t want to shortchange the shop owner.

A day spent cruising the antique shops of Nelspruit can be a lot of fun. Just make sure that you are thoroughly prepared for the experience. Consider bringing along a friend so that you have someone to share the adventure with. Additionally, bring plenty of money with you so that you can buy anything that you like right away. Finally, have a plan in mind for how you are going to get the items that you purchase back home with you. As long as you take all of these factors into account, you should be able to enjoy a fabulous day of shopping for unique and interesting antiques.

To get the most out of your money you will need more than one day of shopping.Make sure to check out the excellent collections of Nelspruit B&Bs in the area.

Antique shops are so much fun to visit. You just never know what you’re going to find there. Much of the time, you might be paying what something is worth, but you might even find a rare gem at a discount. Exploring local antique shops is one thing, but it can be even more fun to discover the best antique shops in a place where you’re unfamiliar with the territory. Are you from Cape Town? Just imagine what you might find at the top five Cape Town antique shops in Africa.

What is your favourite type of item? Maybe you are into antique furniture. I’m into anything baseball and anything else unique that catches my eye. I guess you could say I have an eclectic taste for antiques. Most everyone does, but you might also have certain things you’re looking for. When you’re in a place like Cape Town, you never know what you’re going to find. You’re going to discover all kinds of unique items, and now you’re going to find out about some places you want to check out.

One of the best antique shops in Cape Town is Kalk Bay Trading Post. Galleria Fortunata is another one. Are you going to be able to visit more than one? If you’re antiquing in Cape Town, you’re likely going to want to visit as many of them as you can. That means you’re going to need to know where they are located in relation to where you’re staying. The Kalk Bay Trading Post is on the Main Road in Western Cape.

As you find out where these great antique shops are located, you can plan your route and which ones to visit fist. The Antique Market is the third antique shop mentioned for you in this article, and you know you’re going to at least be privy to the top five. Then there is David Porter Antiques, and this one is located on Dreyer Street, also in Western Cape.

You should be able to get to the top five and more easily enough if you’re going to dedicate some time to antiquing. The 5th Cape Town antique shop you need to visit is Lutge Gallery, but you didn’t think I was going to leave you with just the top five, did you? I’ll give you a few more to go on so that you’re really able to bring some great antiques back home.

Jewel Tree is another great shop, and then there is also The Cook’s Room and Tim Curtis Antiques. See how spread out some of these shops are so that you don’t run yourself ragged back and forth all over the place. And remember, you might want to go to the top five first and then work your way down from there. Some of these shops are going to be better than others, which means they have more antiques and better antiques to offer you. Are you getting excited? Hopefully, you end up with all kinds of great things to show your antiquing friends.

If you enjoy accumulating ancient items, then you could discover these things at antique dealers. They’ve got antique clocks, pieces of furniture, light fixtures, display cabinets and much more. Antiques are usually collected because of their value and price. Generally, they are determined by what time frame they are from, which is basically, at least, a hundred years old.

There are lots of benefits to purchasing antiques coming from a dealer instead of at an auction. There isn’t any pressure for you to make up your mind immediately concerning how much you’re prepared to spend, which you might need to do inside the heated atmosphere of the auction. Additionally, you will know precisely just how much you’ll pay for that item – you don’t have to bother with adding the auction house premium into the value quoted. An Antique Dealership is definitely an incredible spot to visit since you can discover lots of old stuff which you may have simply heard of.

Here are some of the best Antique Shops in South Africa:

1. Pieter Oosthuizen Antiques & Interiors

This shop began being a small one-man antique shop around Sunnyside, Pretoria, 32 years back. And now it has expanded into one of the top antique shops around South Africa, investing on 900 square meters in a new store in Hillcrest, Pretoria. The new store is a not-to-be-missed experience which pleasures the senses and even provides a complimentary coffee bar along with seats beneath a stunning area from the courtyard.

They provide numerous antique items. Apart from antiques, they likewise have an impressive number of South African art made by the finest artists the nation has produced.

2. Antiques and Bygones

Antiques and Bygones started in 1949 and it is the oldest antique company around Kwa-Zulu Natal. It joined up with the South African Antique Dealers Association since 1968 and Nick (the owner) is actually a Previous Chairman of the association.

Antiques & Bygones has a broad and diverse selection of supply, coming from 1650 oak , Victorian and Edwardian items, Georgian mahogany, antique and Contemporary Hallmarked silver, precious jewellery, glass, ceramics, Eastern collectables, tools as well as a collection of International and South African artwork.

3. Barter Buy Antiques

Barter Buy Antiques has been around for twenty-three years. The store began as among the smallest, and it is now one of the largest antique shops in Africa. Now they have more than four thousand pieces of stock. They specialise in Victorian, Edwardian, Art Deco as well as Art Nouveau furniture. They also have a variety of smaller sized antique items like kettles and copper pots, tea sets, decanters as well as crystal cups. Their antique furniture is in wonderful functional condition.

4. Clyde on 4th

Clyde on 4th is really a special antiques and collectibles store. The proprietor possesses a desire for spectacular Georgian, Art-Deco, Art Nouveau and items coming from the 50’s. By having an amazing collection in the store as well as an open heart to assisting other collectors discover what they’re searching for, it is a vintage chance to not be missed. Clyde on 4th is recognized to help eager collectors in locating missing items from their collections, along with expert consultancy on these things.

5. The Old Corkscrew

The Old Corkscrew is situated within Franschhoek, South Africa. This beautiful city that is set on the Winelands of the Western Cape is really a comfy 50-minute drive coming from Cape Town. Franschhoek termed as the ’Food and Wine Capital’ of South Africa, features over 35 restaurants, several of these are situated on the best-rated wine farms.

Opened up in 1994 this particular shop is among the top antique dealerships in the nation. This specialises in remarkable items coating silver, ornamental arts as well as the unique. A strong focus on wine-related antiques, such as Africa’s biggest variety of antique corkscrews has guaranteed it’s a firm favourite both with local and international guests.